nonlinear

adjective

non·​lin·​e·​ar ˌnän-ˈli-nē-ər How to pronounce nonlinear (audio)
: not linear
nonlinear thinking
a nonlinear narrative
… I was already interested in the nonlinear manner in which ideas and fashions travel through our culture …Lyall Watson
nonlinearity noun
plural nonlinearities
nonlinearly adverb

Examples of nonlinear in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Rashida has expertly navigated MSNBC through a years-long, unrelenting and unprecedented news cycle, all while driving the network to record viewership and making investments in nonlinear businesses. Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Jan. 2025 Once matrix multiplication is done in the first layer, the information goes to another layer through a unit that is responsible for nonlinear thresholding. Ars Technica, 12 Jan. 2025 Geopolitical change will continue, and new risks will arise even as current risks are addressed – Events once thought rare are occurring more often and at scales previously unseen, impacting business strategy and operations in complex and nonlinear ways that vary by country and sector. John M. Bremen, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025 The Sound and the Fury is known for its stream-of-consciousness narration and nonlinear structure, and it’s celebrated as a pivotal Modernist text. Ellen Wexler, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for nonlinear 

Word History

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nonlinear was in 1884

Dictionary Entries Near nonlinear

Cite this Entry

“Nonlinear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonlinear. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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